Interview with Varg Vikernes
"Ablaze" Magazine (#9, 2010)

In the late 1990ties, you have said more than once that you are finished with (Black) Metal for good. Neither would you listen to this music nor would you make this music ever again. You have said that Metal is "Negroid" music responsible for a "Negroid" lifestyle among young people. Yet "Belus" is Metal, after all. Does it indicate a change of mind on your part? How do you now judge your previous appraisal of Metal as being "Negroid"?

Well, I still think rock and roll is a Judeo-Negroid thing, originating in Negroid music and artists such as Elvis Presley and bands such as The Beatles (including Ringo Starr), and promoted by guys like Brian Samuel Epstein and Allen Klein. Rock and roll promotes a primitive and destructive lifestyle. Metal can be seen as a subgenre of rock and roll, and thus metal is not much better. However, my musical roots lies in classical music first and foremost and I don't promote a Judeo-Negroid lifestyle. I promote a classical pre-Christian and European lifestyle. So I don't worry too much if Burzum is metal. It's a metal blade in the heart of the enemy beast...

As far as can be told, "Belus" is deemed to be a must-have even to those people who strongly disagree with any of your (political) views. Subsequently, this album is the best-selling (Black) Metal-release in over a decade. Have you expected this enormous success? Considering your disdain for Norwegian Black Metal (save of Mayhem and Darkthrone), how do you feel about Burzum being the most popular (in terms of commercial success, among others) Black Metal-band from Norway?

If what you say is right Burzum is the most popular (thrash?) metal band from Norway...

Oh, and Darkthrone is not a Black Metal band either, by the way. They too left that menagerie a long time ago. They now play crust punk music.

I expect either total success or total failure. That's my lot in life.

The reviews of "Belus" range from awe-struck amazement to grudging approval, but there is virtually no one who would obviously dislike it for its music. That's quite a feat, taking into consideration that expectations towards "Belus" have been huge, right from the moment when you have announced to record another Metal-album. Are you satisfied with the reactions you have received for "Belus" thus far? Did it matter to you one bit how this album would be perceived by the audience once released?

Yeah it did matter. I wanted to make an album that I would be satisfied with, imagining that if I liked it so would the old Burzum fans. Naturally I am well pleased with the reactions to "Belus", and I am glad I was able to prove the pessimists wrong.

With that said though, I now realise that I actually made a follow up to "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "Filosofem" more than a follow up to "old Burzum". The next time I will go even further back for inspiration, and try to make an album more like the début and "Det Som Engang Var". Not production-wise or sound-wise, naturally, but when it comes to musical style.

You have said that you dislike any so-called "die hard" (limited editions that differ from the standard one) editions. Yet it has happened that PHD printed a limited edition 2000 white vinyls which was sold out within a very short time. Instead of pausing the sale of "Belus"-LP, PHD continued to sell this white vinyl edition even though they knew it was out of stock. Subsequently many mailorders who have initially ordered white vinyl have received black one instead. Furthermore the thus limited white vinyl became a sought-after collectors' item that is being sold for outrageous prices at Ebay. I reckon that's not what you have had in mind, right? Can you comment on this situation?

Actually I think PHD just distributes an LP released under licence from Byelobog Productions to Back on Black. I don't know all the facts around this license but we were all very surprised to see that it sold so much. So what was supposed to be an LP release to please a handful of die-hard vinyl fans ended up being something else altogether. Back on Black had to print more albums over and over again, and they sold a lot of LPs. I think the white vinyl edition was supposed to be the only edition, and I don't know why they printed it on black vinyl after running out of white vinyl.

However, when I realised how popular vinyl still is I decided to give away my own vinyl collection (including first prints of Mayhem, Immortal, Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor and even Old Funeral) in some sort of competition or something. Rather than just let them collect dust in a box in my basement I can give it to someone who will appreciate it. We will see how that works out.

We are also, by the way, giving away almost a hundred Burzum albums (old but never before played CDs and vinyl, including original DSP and Cymophane versions), by the way. Not sure how they (Byelobog and/or PHD) do it, but from what I have been told there will be some sort of competition in "Terrorizer" magazine and potential other magazines.

You see; rather than sell this on e-bay like some greedy J**, I give it away for free. That's a European mentality... and that's a good example of what I mean when I say I promote true European ideals. Lead by example.

Your initial title for "Belus" has caused a controversy, because the title was taken literally and mis-interpreted as being "racist". It goes without saying that such judgement is born from ignorance. You could just as well have stuck to the original title instead of changing it to "Belus", even though "Belus" is none else but this very "White God" who was deemed to be a metaphor for "White Supremacy". Why changing the title, then? It could be interpreted as giving in to your "critics", regardless of your explanation that can be found on your homepage?

What most of you guys seem to forget is that I am an artist, and like other artists I use working titles. When I am not sure what the album is to be called I still have to call it something to be able to work with it. Calling it "album #8" or something like that is not very inspiring, so I come up with a name of sorts. My first working title for "Belus" was "Baldurs Tilbakekomst" (The Return of Baldur), but I didn't like it so I changed it to "Den Hvite Guden" (The White God). I still hadn't decided what to name the album though, and when I saw how the reactions were to this working title I knew that at least I would not use this title.

Sure, I could have stuck to it, but I like "Belus". It's a recreated Indo-European name of the solar deity, it translates as "Shining white", and I like the fantasy/archetypical/classical feel of it.

It appears as if you have refined your musical skills on "Belus", in particular the drumming. Were you able to rehearse during your time in prison? I guess that you could have an acoustic guitar at the very least? Have you used any technical assistance for recording certain parts of "Belus"? I'm asking because a few people have hinted at the likelihood that a drum computer was used for the recording, considering that you were unable to play (and thus improve your skills at) any drums for 16 years... Also it was noted that you have not used any keyboard this time. After the two ambient-style releases in the late 1990ties, are you "sick" of synthetic tunes, so to speak?

Actually I played the drums in a Thrash Metal band in Tromsø for some months prior to my release. We did covers of Accept (Fast as the Shark, Princess of the Dawn), Black Sabbath (Paranoid) and some other bands too. When released I then purchased a drum kit and played a lot of drums in one of the buildings on my farm. I played more drums in this period than I have ever done before – all put together. So I did not need to use a drum computer. However, I did record it using a different technique. Rather than play entire tracks I sometimes just played a part of the track, recorded it and then simply looped it. This saved me a lot of time and effort, and it worked very well. I intend to do this the next time as well. Record a beat well, then copy and paste. Very efficient. Excellent results.

Yes, I did have an acoustic guitar in my cell for a few years prior to my release.

"Belus" is about the maybe most ancient motif that can be found in the religion of the Northern hemisphere: The death as well as the subsequent advent and rebirth of the Sun. This is even pre-Germanic, so to speak. Considering your long-time interest in Germanic/Norse Heathendom, it comes as a bit of surprise that you have gone back to the very roots of Eurocentric religion - roots shared by basically everyone of European descent, regardless of his/her ethnicity/nationality, culture, religion. Did this too come to your mind when you decided to make an album about the White God?

This was my very intention. Baldur is too ethnocentric (Scandinavian). By using the older and pan-European name I included all Europeans. I see no reason to alienate any of you, regardless of nationality. All Europeans are my brethren.

Besides, right now I really don't want others to think of Burzum as "Norwegian Black Metal" anyway, and a Scandinavian name would have done that more than "Belus".

With its eight songs (well, including intro as well as outro) "Belus" appears to be the most coherent Burzum-album up to date. Everything seems to be in place, and to fit together quite nicely. It appears as if this album was in the process of making for a much longer time than could have been guessed after your initial announcement of a new, Metal-style album in 2009. How long have you been thinking about, and working at, "Belus"? Where would you place it in the canon of your creative output, if comparing this album to any other you have recorded / released previously?

For a starter I can tell that I actually worked quite a bit with making this album. It was in the process of making from May 2009 to January 2010, when I recorded it, but I did use material that was older as well – and the album as we know it was completed (save the introduction from January 2010) in December 2009. Had I recorded it in November 2009 it would have been very different.

The concept of "Belus" is a different topic altogether. I have worked on this for a long time (at least 15 years) in context with books and articles, and I decided to use this as a concept for the album because that was basically what I knew best.

Compared to the other albums it's – like you say – more coherent (although "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" too was pretty coherent). It's a story told from beginning to end, both lyrically as well as musically.

With the strong emphasis on repetition/monotony, used for inducing a trance-like state of mind, "Belus" can be compared to ancient Shamanist music as well as to contemporary Techno/Trance-tunes. You have admitted to listen to the latter, even to frequently visiting a Techno club in Bergen back in the early 1990ties. Hence a similarity between "Belus" and Techno was intentional, or did this happen unconsciously? After all, this repetition is a hallmark of all of your work...

Well, I would say this repetition is a hallmark of all my post-"Det Som Engang Var" work. The début is not that repetitive (save "Ea, Lord of the Depths"), and nor is the "Det Som Engang Var" album. Nevertheless, you are right that this is indeed a hallmark, and also that I like a lot of underground house and techno music. The similarity between later (post-"DSEV") Burzum and shamanistic music is intentional, and has been since mid 1992. Although I don't like the term "shamanistic", and would use a term such as "Ancient European ritual music" or something like that instead. Maybe "Traditional" music. Shamanism is Siberian Paganism. Our European Paganism was called simply "the Tradition" or "the Custom" (Norse seiðr).

Certainly you know about the custom in the "music industry" to award Gold and Platin vinyl to artists who sell a certain number of their respective release. If PHD would announce that the sale of "Belus" has reached this mark, and such award ought to be given to you accordingly, how would you react to it? Do you even care about anything that has to do with the "marketing" of Burzum, and how the "music industry" is dealing with your releases? Some musicians seem to be obsessed with it, others don't give a fuck. What about you?

My first thought after reading your question was that I just gave away all my vinyls, because they just took up space, and I really don't want any new ones – be them gold or platin or whatever. Anyway, I will be perfectly happy if they just tell me how many albums they sell. There is no need to announce the sales figures to the world, and I do have enough crap stored in boxes in my basement as it is.

I do care about marketing and how the industry is dealing with my releases but at least now I don't care much about awards, and I don't worry about the possibility that I might get some.

You have changed the logo of Burzum, from one font to another. Was it really necessary? The original logo was used on your 2nd demo only, later to be changed to a "Gothic"-style of font by Euronymous when your first album was released. However, that became sort of a trademark in the years after. Would it not be better to officially "copyright" this logo instead of using a new one?

If changing the logo was necessary to make you all understand that things like that doesn't matter, then yes; it was necessary. Burzum is the music and lyrics I make. Not the logo I release this under. Copyrighting a logo to make it my property for commercial use sounds a bit... well, J**ish to me. I am not a capitalist pig.

There are numberless bootlegs of Burzum recordings and merchandise circulating throughout the Black Metal-underground. Are you aware of that? Whereas other Black Metal-artists are keen on prosecuting those who steal their intellectual property, you seem to don't care at all. How come?

I pity all human beings who are so morally corrupted they think stealing is okay, but I cannot help them. All I can do is to be better myself, and not steal from others like they do. Lead by example. Be better than those you despise.

Nine tribute to Burzum releases, from 2002 until 2009: That is certainly more musical tribute from fellow artists than any other (Black) Metal-band has ever received. How do you feel about it? And was you always asked for permission/endorsement by those who compiled such Tribute-releases?

No, I don't recall ever hearing from any of them, and that's okay, but I must warn you and tell that my memory is poor in this context so I might be mistaken. I appreciate the honour they give me, and I hope they continue to appreciate my music – old and new.

Your usual modus operandi, concerning the work between you and any recordlabel, is the use of a proxy - be it Burznazg, Cymophane, or now Byelobog Productions - who does license your recording to some executive producers - to PHD, for instance. If that's how it works, can you tell us why a) you don't consider releasing/selling Burzum by yourself (like you did with the first edition of "Det Som Engang Var") and b) why you don't sign a standard contract with a label directly?

Alas! Our world has turned into a bog of self-loathing and hatred, a dark dungeon filled with poisonous snakes, plagued rats and deadly traps, so I have to walk carefully in order to survive as an artist. Thankfully I do see some light entering the dungeon, from a crack in the wall, and this light enables me to see and manoeuvre about safely.

In the 1990ties you have used burzum.com as your official website, but later it was replaced by burzum.org - what has happened? The former is still online but appears to be detached from you. There are some MySpace-profiles for "Burzum" and "Varg Vikernes" out there, too. Is any website other than burzum.org considered official by you?

Well, burzum.org is the only official Burzum website, and it was constructed to stop the flow of lies produced by the other websites, and in particular by burzum.com. The latter was the official website from 1995 to 1996 or maybe to 1997, when it had turned into a major problem and the biggest source of misinformation regarding Burzum ever. I told the admin to shut the site down, but instead he turned it into an archive (of lies). It was later illegally purchased (because I was never asked for permission) by a very questionable character in the USA, who had his own agenda and who only wanted the site for his own purposes. The admins of burzum.com, working for this guy, didn't even contact me until after "Belus" was released, when they all of a sudden wanted to cooperate (and naturally I told them to piss off), only because they saw the opportunity to misuse me again, now that my name was spoken again in public.

The only credible source of information regarding Burzum is burzum.org, and if you read something and it's not on burzum.org it's either a lie or it will be confirmed on burzum.org later on. If it is not confirmed on burzum.org later on (within a week or two) you can tell it's a lie.

The only website I have anything to do with is burzum.org. All other websites and MySpace-profiles and such are false and should be boycotted by everyone. If we ever do create a MySpace-profile or something like that it will be announced on burzum.org.

One could think you have a rather ambiguous relationship with Black Metal nowadays. On the one side, you want to be credited - and rightly so! - with being one of the founding fathers of the genre in the early 1990ties, but on the other side you speak with utmost contempt about the contemporary Black Metal-scene - from Norway, at least. Can you elaborate on your relationship with Black Metal, please? What it meant to you in the past, what does it mean now?

Black Metal is not Black Metal, so to speak. What we today know as Black Metal is something else, something I don't like and something I don't want to be associated with. It's that simple, really. I don't care about the term one bit, and rather than argue that they don't play "true" Black Metal or Black Metal at all, I let the followers keep what they stole, corrupted and twisted in 1992.

I was a part of the creation of something Euronymous named Black Metal. He re-invented a term known from a Venom album, but the name matters no whit, and like I said; the thieves can keep it. I don't want it to describe my music anymore. I play my music the way I want to no matter what we call it.

There are only few contemporary Norwegian Black Metal-musicians you seem to like: Fenriz of Darkthrone, for instance. It's no secret that you two have collaborated on "Transilvanian Hunger" and "Panzerfaust", and that he remained faithful to you when almost everyone else in the Norwegian scene turned against you. You have greeted him - as well as Demonaz of Immortal (any comment about him?) - in the booklet of "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss", making it clear that you deem him to be your friend. Now it is no secret too that Darkthrone - Fenriz as well as Nocturno Culto - disregard pretty much everything they said back in the early 1990ties. In particular the "Norsk Arisk Black Metal" on "Transilvanian Hunger" is said to be "foolish provocation". Does this attitude not fall in line with the "betrayal" of other Norwegian Black Metal-musicians who have forsaken their former ideals for a career without trouble and boycott by the "music industry / media", something that you strongly condemn about anyone else? Maybe you can elaborate on that particular issue...

First of all: I regret giving Demonaz any credit whatsoever. He was a rat like no other, but I didn't know at the time I released "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss".

Darkthrone had some controversial statements in the early days, and if they disregard pretty much everything they said that's their choice. Maybe some think they have betrayed themselves, but they have the right to change their mind, and that's none of my business. What is my business is when the others you spoke of ratted each other out, and gave false testimony against me in an attempt to avoid legal persecution themselves. That's a different topic altogether, and that's what makes them damned rats. "Varg did it. I didn't really want to participate, but Varg had such a strong personality bla bla bla".

Oh, and the others (in particular Emperor, Thorns, Immortal, Enslaved and Hades Almighty) didn't betray any of their former ideals, because they never had any ideals. They were always damned spineless followers and rats.

Someone has said recently: "True Norwegian Black Metal has never died. It was incarcerated along with Varg, and has been returning with him together." Do you agree? Can Burzum be considered to be the epitome of Norwegian Black Metal?

You know, Darkthrone had their half-hearted "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" out in February 1992, and then came the Burzum début on DSP the month after, and the only other so-called Black Metal release we saw the rest of the year was Immortal's "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" in September 1992. From March 1992 to September 1992 Euronymous – the head of this movement and the source of pretty much all information spread in the scene – used the Burzum début album (and much more than he used "A Blaze...") to show all the "trendy death metallers" how true Black Metal was supposed to sound. He used my album more than "A Blaze..." because he had released it on his own label, and because of this – possibly more than because of musical quality – the début album of Burzum became the main source of inspiration for all the year 1992+ Norwegian bands (whether they like to admit this or not). Because of Euronymous Burzum became the main root of all Black Metal, as it was "supposed" to sound. Because of Euronymous, if you look up the word "Black Metal" in Wikipedia (English), you will basically get a description of the music of Burzum. Not the music of Darkthrone or Immortal, but the music of Burzum.

What came next was a wave of follower bands (from March 1992 onwards) who wanted to do the same, and who had been told that "this is how Black Metal is supposed to sound", and naturally they therefore did the best to sound just like Burzum.

I revolted against death metal in 1991, but what you don't know is that I revolted against trendy Black Metal too, in early 1993, when I recorded "Filosofem". This album was an "anti-trend" album, but as you might know, it ironically became one of the biggest sources of inspiration for the coming so-called Black Metal bands.

Now, when we know this it is not so odd that some think of Burzum as the epitome of true Norwegian Black Metal. It might be, but perhaps for different reasons than one might initially think of.

You have said about the spirit of Black Metal: "The spirit of Black Metal was all about individualism, artistic integrity, originality, strength of character, contempt for the followers and finally creativity." How do you define "individualism" in this regard? I am asking, because "individualism" is a concept usually referred to by liberal Black Metal-fans who criticize NSBM (and in this context, Burzum too). They say that "NSBM advocates fascism, but fascism is diametrically opposed to the individualism that was the original spirit of Black Metal". What do you think about it?

Well, individualism is many things. There is positive and there is negative individualism. The fascists were opposed to negative individualism such as too much egocentricity and egoism, but they were not opposed to individualism per se. In fact they embraced positive individualism like no others! Individual courage and heroism is also individualism – at it brightest and best – and we saw plenty of that in the ranks of for example the Waffen-SS, and more so than in any non-fascist army units during WWII, I may add. I see no contradiction in a person being both being a fascist and an individualist at the same time, and naturally I see no conflict between the spirit of original Black Metal and NSBM.

I do see a conflict between the original spirit of Black Metal and the stupidity, cowardice and weakness of anyone with a politically correct ideology like liberalism though. The politically correct are too dumb to think for themselves. Too coward to be truly different from the rest. Too weak to stand alone. The NSBM guys on the other hand are more Black Metal than anyone else I can think of. Disagree with what they have to say if you like, but admire them too. They walk against the current. Alone in a hostile world.

Speaking of NSBM: Is this a phenomenon you are familiar with? In another interview you have said that "what NSBM-bands say makes some sense at least". Do you care to explain? Coming from an era when in Black Metal it was no problem to be interested in / associated with "political extremism", does the rise of NSBM come as surprise to you? "Politically correct Black Metal" is deemed to be an oxymoron to many, yet it is that what ought to be the standard in this scene nowadays - according to the "music industry / media", that is. If you don't pledge loyalty to the "Zeitgeist" that considers Adolf Hitler to be the insane mass-murderer, and his ideology to be the "root of all evil", then your band will be boycotted as well as your art will be banned inevitably. Hence it became sort of a fashion, in particular among Scandinavian Black Metal-bands, to pretend to be "unpolitical" or to be opposed to any "extremist ideology". From a certain point of view, NSBM was born of the same contempt for any compromise that gave rise to (Norwegian) Black Metal in the first place. You have said that Black Metal was supposed to be opposed to the Death Metal which started to become mainstream in the late 1980ties/early 1990ties. Hence NSBM started in the late 1990ties as opposition against a Black Metal devoid of its former, radical ideas and ideals - a Black Metal becoming mainstream too. There is the saying that only with incorporating NS-related symbols / topics into Black Metal, this music could be effectively immunized against the mainstream and thus be preserved as a genuine counterculture. Others say that NSBM itself became a trend and a fashion, making Black Metal even more "low-brow" than ever before... How do you look at all of that, coming from the first wave of Norwegian Black Metal yourself but being sort of an outside observer of this scene nowadays?

Ah, well, this is a minefield, and I should walk carefully, but I can tell that of the ones I have communicated with in the Black Metal scene only those who played NSBM had an above average intelligence, so to speak, and the rest – the ordinary Black Metallists – were (with the exception of Gylve of Darkthrone) well below average – in fact when it came to most qualities, physical as well as mental (and not least morally).

If the so called "democratic" individuals out there really believe in their talk about diversity, they should let those with truly different opinions be allowed to talk freely in public too. Interview Henrik Möbus for "Der Spiegel" or something like that, and let him speak freely, without threats of incarceration hanging over him if he says "the wrong" things. That would have been a free society. What you guys in particular (but the rest of us too) have today is not. Germany is like Afghanistan and Iraq you know; the USA moved in with armed forces and replaced the legal government with Karzai and some Iraqi puppet respectively – and in your case with Konrad Adenauer. The USA wrote the German Grundgesetz. You guys didn't. Are you comfortable being a puppet state of the USA? Why don't the liberals whine about that instead?

In Norway we had British intelligence officers sitting next to the radio hosts until 1949, ready to move in and physically take the microphone if the Norwegian radio hosts said "the wrong" things. I mean, what the fuck is that?! And today the liberals complain about a few underground bands greeting each other "the wrong way"? Hey guys; we have bigger concerns than that! Our societies are already controlled by Anglo-American fascists of the worst sort! They say "Shalom" rather than "H*** H***" when they greet each other, okay, but they are no better. Trust me. In fact they are much worse. They are probably worse than you can possibly imagine.

You have become well-known for promoting/advocating Odalism, an ideology akin to Nationalsocialism as many critics use to point out. Needless to say, most - if not all - of your critics have not even bothered to read any essay written and published by yourself. Could you give a short summary of what you understand Odalism is supposed to be? Do you still want to convince anyone else of adopting this particular creed (or rather, this world view)?

It's a good term to describe a positive movement, trying to embrace the good in our culture rather than attack the bad of other cultures. Odalism is all about having a positive relationship to your fatherland, the soil you live on and from, the people you are a part of and the culture of your people. It is not like National Socialism, for many reasons, but perhaps first and foremost because it is not socialism in any way, and it could well be adopted by anyone – regardless of race.

Has your world view evolved/changed during the time of your imprisonment? It is of course just natural to undergo a spiritual/mental "evolution" during your lifetime, yet some basic characteristics should certainly remain no matter what. What is the ideological quintessence of your own world view? And what do you think of the not-so-uncommon phenomenon that some people want to be someone entirely different every two years or so? I have met someone who was Satanists at first, later he became Nationalsocialist, then he joined the Hare Krishna just to become "Nazi" once again, and after all he has ended up with the Jehovas' Witness. However, this guy was not stupid or anything. He was desperately looking for an identity. Do you think in the Western world it does become more and more an exercise in futility to look for any identity at all, because none is given to you anymore but you receive a plentiful of options for "you can be who you want to be" - just that many people not even know what they want, and who they want to be...?

Naturally I am not a static entity and I change all the time – thankfully – but what has been changing over the years is not my world view, but rather the way I described it – and also the way I understood it. Another changing factor has been the way I expressed it, and this was influenced a lot by how I was treated by the rest of the world.

The ideological quintessence of my own world view? I would say the classical European ideals paired with medieval chivalry. What once was. What exists no longer – save in lost spirits like myself. A romantic longing for a past that most likely never existed as we know it. Maybe just shadows on the walls in a different cave...

In the late 1990ties, you have promoted and supported the Allgermanische Heidnische Front (AHF). This organization has ceased to be a few years afterwards. Did you see this coming? Do you think it would have been different with you being out of prison and thus be able to actively participate on the AHF? You have said, prior to your release from prison, that you do not have any connections to such circles anymore. Moreover, you would refrain from joining any "political movement" ever again. Your former comrade, Hendrik Möbus from Germany, has said in one interview that you might be disappointed at the demise of the AHF, because you have invested so much time and energy in this group even mindless of any backlash that could be caused by this involvement and negatively impact your situation in prison (in regard to a release on probation, or else) too. Hence you would rather avoid such involvement/commitment in future. Is this an assessment you can agree with?

I think the best thing to say is that I am more realistic now than I was before. When you face a tidal wave you can always try to fight it, but it is futile. The only sensible thing you can do is to move out of the way, climb a hill and sit there until the tidal wave has destroyed your world.

Then you can return, bury the dead and build a new and better world on the ruins of the old. I will remain European, in blood and spirit. The tidal wave cannot touch me where I am sitting, so I don't worry.

When can we expect your books to be available as German translation, by the way?

When Germany becomes free from the yoke of the USA and allows the freedom of speech.

In the past, you have expressed a great interest in Germany and - later - in Russia. As far as I know, you have learned the respective languages too. Now you are free to roam the world, so to speak. Have you been to Germany already? How do you like it over here? Did your idea of Germany match or clash with the reality in this country?

My German is poor, and my Russian even poorer...

Yes, I have been to Germany three times by now, and I will return to Germany in a few weeks time.

I was surprised to see a Germany in decay. I thought Germany still was a wealthy country, but judging from what I saw that is not the case. On the positive side I saw more blonde and healthy looking Germans than I had expected.

A thing that really surprised (and disappointed) me was the amount of pornography I encountered. I mean; do you really need to have magazines with pictures on the front of women being sodomized and/or screwed by several men at the same time all over the place in every single gas station in Germany? Do I really need to see male genetalia in action every single time I want to pay for gasoline? There is freedom to, and freedom from you know. You obviously do have the freedom to "enjoy" porn, but you really don't have the freedom from porn in Germany. Sorry, but I am not looking forward to my next visit...

You have more than once commented on "Lords Of Chaos", the book by Moynihan and Söderlind. As far as you are concerned, this book is full of lies and distortions. Now there will be a Hollywood-movie "Lords Of Chaos", telling the tale of you and Euronymous. What do you think about this project? Has anyone from Hollywood ever contacted you in this regard? It looks odd that they make a movie about someone they could easily get in touch with, but they just don't care if he wants his life to be used for a movie or how he could be involved in this project at all. Even though you will most likely disagree with just about anything that could be found in this movie, it will promote Burzum in even a broader scope than was the case with the book. Ultimately, this movie will help you / Burzum even though that might not be the intention of those who make this movie. Is that some irony you find a - maybe grim? - satisfaction in?

Sorry to say so, but I really don't want to repeat myself, so anyone who wants an answer to this questions should read the article about this on burzum.org.

You have mentioned that you wrote a book about Norwegian Black Metal, for the sake of telling your side of the story. What are the plans for publishing that one?

Not sure yet. I re-wrote the book in English, rather than translate it from Norwegian, but I am not sure if I will bother publishing it. Maybe in a decade. Maybe never. Maybe in a few months. Time shall tell.

I could imagine that you are one of the best well-known Norwegians nowadays, in particular in your own home country. Considering this situation, is it really possible to live the quiet and secluded life you do want to have for yourself and for your family? Aside from Norwegians who encounter you in daily life and be wondering about your past, I could think of tourists who even do want to come to your place and have a look at you. Has that been happening already? How do you react to this intrusion?

By telling them that I don't know them and that I don't accept visits from individuals I don't know – or haven't invited myself. It has happened a few times, yes.

It is impossible for me to live a quiet and secluded life in Norway, no matter where I live. Norway is too small for that. Alas!

Can you tell me about your future plans, be it in regard to making music or to writing books, or else...?

Sure, I could, but I think it serves no purpose. I might change my mind and do other things instead. I do have a surprise or two coming up, though...

Thank you for your time. Alles Gute aus Deutschland! Your final words for now...

Thanks for the interview. Good luck with your magazine and good luck Germany... (you can read whatever you want into that last part).

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